Max Caulfield
Maxine Caulfield, better known as Max '(born September 21, 1995), is the main protagonist in Life Is Strange. The player controls her throughout their campaign. She is an 18-year-old aspiring photographer and senior at Blackwell Academy. She left her mom and dad in Seattle for the seaside town of Arcadia Bay, Oregon, where she grew up. After saving her childhood friend Chloe from being murdered by Nathan Prescott in one of Blackwell Academy's bathrooms, she discovers she has the ability to rewind time - and even stop it in its tracks. On the search for clues to solve the mysterious disappearance of Rachel Amber, Max must also discover how to use her powers to save the town of Arcadia Bay from a tornado. For the image gallery, click here. Personality Max is geeky and slightly self-conscious; particularly when it comes to her photography, but she makes a genuine effort to show kindness to all of Blackwell's students. She's a clear, deductive thinker, smart and sneaky, but practical, reasonable, and mature for her age, especially compared to her best friend Chloe. She is also brave, placing herself in harm's way to protect those she cares about. She has a love for photography and aspires to make it a career one day. She also seems to like obscure movies, much like her friend Warren. Max becomes more confident and decisive as her adventure continues, probably due to Chloe's influence combined with her new found time-altering powers. She feels deeply responsible for her actions and does not take her rewind power lightly, but perhaps doesn't yet realise the full consequences of her power. Some people regard Max as "nosey" as revealed in her Blackwell student file. Autobiography The following is what Max wrote about herself in her journal's diary: ''My name is Max Caulfield, and ever since I was a little kid I knew I wanted to be a photographer. I've always seen the world through my own lens finder. Maybe it's a way for me to be part of the world, but at a safe distance. For some reason I was always drawn to the old analog camera gear rather than digital tech. I love all kinds of styles and techniques but for me, the instant camera selfie is the one I love most. I don't care if people make fun of me or not. I'm in great company, right? And now I've come all the way back to my childhood home to study photography at Blackwell Academy, a private school for 12th grade seniors. On a scholarship even! I originally left behind Chloe, my "best friend forever" (at least until I left without talking to her once in five years) and it feels so weird to be back here without seeing her yet. So I'm eighteen now, an official adult even though I don't always feel so wise or mature, and I'm ready to begin a whole new life here with retro camera at my side. "Say Cheese!" Background Max grew up in Arcadia Bay, where she and Chloe were close childhood friends. When Max was 13, she moved to Seattle with her parents, leaving her best friend and her old life behind. The two fell out of touch, especially after Chloe's mother remarried. Five years later, Max is accepted into Blackwell Academy, a seniors-only school of arts and sciences, and moves back to Arcadia Bay; mostly due to her admiration for the work of her famous new teacher, Mark Jefferson. Max comments about how much she enjoyed her time in Seattle, saying it was perfect for photography. It is clear that both her parents care about her greatly, due to her their separate birthday texts and her mother's encouraging texts at points in the campaign. Her mother gets a special mention as Max talks about the coconut bites in her bedroom, revealing that she was given a $200 gift certificate with them for her birthday. On top of the money her father transferred to her account, we can clearly see that the Caulfields are a well-off family. She speaks fondly of her dad, reminiscing about them going to Hockey games together, supporting the Seattle Thunderbirds. It's also revealed that Max's teddy bear, the Captain, is special to her because she remembers going to the ER with her mother to have his eye removed after she swallowed it. Max has a passion for analog photography, greatly preferring it to digital images. When looking at the retro cameras in the art classroom, Max is thrilled. She even has a vintage camera website pulled up on her laptop in "Chrysalis", dubbed "Camera Porn". Max also reveals that she had two friends back in Seattle; Kristen and Fernando, although not much is known about them other than that they were drunk at the Fremont Troll. Max plays guitar, as evident from the butterfly covered instrument in her room and the player's ability to get her to play it. She plays right-handed. Episode One - Chrysalis At the beginning of the game, the player finds Max in the midst of a fierce thunderstorm with an eerie lighthouse in the distance. Once the player reaches the lighthouse, a massive tornado comes into view from the cliff overlooking the sea. As it spins towards Arcadia Bay, it lifts a fishing boat that smashes into the lighthouse, which begins to fall on Max. Max wakes up in her photography class and deduces that it was a dream. Later, in the girls' bathroom of Blackwell Academy, Max witnesses Nathan Prescott in a heated argument about drugs with a blue-haired girl (who we later find out is Chloe). Nathan shoots her, and Max reaches out to stop him. However, Max wakes up again in her photography class, and discovers that she can manipulate time. The first significant action Max takes with this power is to save Chloe's life by activating the fire alarms before Nathan can shoot her. After saving Chloe, Max heads back to her dormitory to retrieve her friend Warren's flash-drive. While there are many opportunities to talk to other Blackwell students, it is clear that she and Warren are close friends. On her way to the dorm, Max encounters Victoria and her two cronies, Courtney and Taylor at the entrance. When they won't let her in, Max has to soak them with the sprinklers and then coat Victoria in paint before she can finally get into the dorm. The player has the opportunity to take Victoria's photo or comfort her. Once inside the dorm, Max discovers that Dana has taken the flash-drive. To get it back, she has to convince Juliet to let Dana out of the room. Juliet believes that her boyfriend is cheating on her with Dana - however, the entire thing is a prank set up by Victoria. Max searches her room for evidence, and brings it back to Juliet to claim Dana's freedom. Inside Dana's room, Max grabs the flash-drive from the desk. If the player chooses to snoop, the fact that Dana was pregnant is apparent. If Max checks the garbage bin or pregnancy test kit, Dana claims she is nosy and gets upset with Max. The player can rewind and choose to ask about Dana's pregnancy instead. Flash-drive in hand, Max heads off to the parking lot across campus to meet Warren. However, she comes across Kate being hassled by David Madsen, Chloe's stepfather and Head of Security at Blackwell Academy. The player can choose whether to intervene, or take a photo. Afterwards, Max is either berated or thanked by Kate. Meeting Warren in the parking lot, Max is harassed by Nathan, who accuses her of being in the bathroom and spying on his argument. The argument is broken up by an oncoming truck, which happens to belong to Chloe. Max jumps in while Warren distracts Nathan, and makes her escape with her old friend. In the car, they chat about Max's lack of communication with Chloe and her time in Seattle. They head back to Chloe's house, and talk about Chloe's friend Rachel Amber, and her disappearance, as well as what has been going on in Chloe's life. Max's camera is broken, so she leaves Chloe to smoke and explores the family garage to find the equipment to fix it. Max discovers the tools and goes back upstairs to see Chloe. She fails to fix the camera, and Chloe gives her an analog camera that belonged to her late father, William as a replacement in exchange for the butterfly photo Max took in the girls' bathroom shortly before Max saved Chloe. They celebrate by dancing to loud music, but Chloe's stepfather comes home and complains about the noise. Chloe tells Max to hide so she won't get caught with a friend in the room. The player chooses the outcome here - whether or not Max hides, whether Max will take the blame for Chloe or whether Max comes out of hiding or not as the scene plays out. Depending on what you do, the two teenagers leave the house together and head to the lighthouse. Max sits with Chloe awhile before passing out in another vision of the lighthouse. She makes her way past obstacles and finds a newspaper depicting that the date of the tornado is that Friday. Max jumps back to reality and tells Chloe about her power and the oncoming threat to Arcadia Bay. Episode Two - Out of Time The second episode sees Max awaken in her dorm room ready for a new day. She heads to the bathroom and speaks to her friend Kate, who is extremely upset over a viral video of her kissing people at a Vortex Club party. There are several choices Max can make to help or hurt Kate throughout the episode. Supporting her and taking interest in her feelings lead to Max saving Kate's life, while being nonchalant and dismissive result in Kate's death. Max grabs a shower, listening to Victoria tormenting poor Kate in the bathroom. Max returns to her room to change and grab Kate's book to return to her. Upon returning the book, Max discovers Kate's living conditions are incredibly reflective of her friend's state of mind. Kate confides in Max about what really happened at the Vortex Club party; she thinks Nathan drugged her and promised she would be taken to a hospital. Kate asks for Max's help and opinion on whether to go to the police about Nathan or not. It is up to the player to make the decision. Max heads to meet Chloe at the Two Whales diner, and on her way is interrupted by Warren, who asks her to see a movie with him at the drive through. The player decides whether to decline or not. When Max arrives at the diner, Chloe's mother Joyce takes her order and the two have a catch up while they wait for Chloe. Chloe chooses to test Max's new power by asking about the contents of her pockets, and Max proves herself by predicting the future of the diner inhabitants. Upon leaving the diner, Max gets a call from Kate - the player again chooses whether to take the call, or ignore it. They head off together to the junkyard American Rust, where Chloe spends much of her time. Max collects bottles for Chloe's makeshift gun range, and helps Chloe practice with the weapon. However, before Max can have her turn, she passes out after over-using her power. Unfortunately for the duo, Chloe's drug-dealer Frank turns up to tell Chloe that she must pay her debt before the week is out. Chloe reacts badly to seeing Frank wearing Rachel Amber's bracelet, and begins a fight with him. The player can choose whether or not to attempt to shoot Frank. Eventually, Frank leaves with the promise of his money being paid, and the girls leave the junkyard for the train tracks. The two walk and talk about Frank, Arcadia Bay and Max's power. But their chat ends as Chloe gets her foot stuck in the train tracks and Max is forced to rescue her. The player has the choice of how to disable the tracks; either to destroy them, or slightly damage the tracks. Either way, Chloe is saved by Max and the two head back to Chloe's truck together so that Max can go to class. Max is texted by Warren and goes to help him with his science experiment. The player has the choice to sign up for the next Vortex Club party at this point before helping Warren. After talking to him, Max heads to art class to see Kate and Jefferson talking; he is unsupportive of her and she walks away swiftly. Max tries to ask what was wrong, but Jefferson takes a phone call and Max heads into the classroom. She confronts Victoria and Nathan who are sitting on her desk, and then has a quick chat with Warren as he joins her and thanks her for helping him before the start of class. Class is interrupted as there is something happening in the dormitories. We discover that Kate is on the roof of the dorms, ready to jump. It's up to Max to save her. As Max's powers temporarily fail on her way to save her, there are no do-overs with Kate's life. Ultimately, the player chooses whether Kate lives or dies. No matter the outcome, Max ends up in the principal's office after the incident to place blame on whoever the player thinks is most at fault for Kate's suicide attempt. Jefferson, Nathan and David are the options. The episode ends with Max and Warren discussing the day's events and marveling at the unscheduled snowstorm which appears in the Bay. Episode Three - Chaos Theory After falling asleep in her room, Max is awoken by the sound of her phone. Chloe texts her about meeting to discuss what happened earlier that day. Max leaves the dorm and heads out past Principal Wells to meet Chloe. She has discovered her step-father's keys and the two girls enter the school to find clues about Rachel Amber's disappearance and Nathan's scandalous drug dealing. However the girls quickly discover that the key to Wells' office is gone, and that they have no spare. Chloe tries to pick the lock, while Max rings Warren to find a rather more explosive solution. Max finds the components to create a small makeshift pipe-bomb, and blows the door to the office. As the alarms go off, Max simply uses her rewind power after stepping into the office to go back before the explosion and safely open the door from the inside. She and Chloe search the office for clues, and discover the files of many students as well as emails from Nathan Prescott's father to the Blackwell principal, threatening to cut off funding if his son is not treated appropriately with a spotless record. They also discover several creepy drawings from Nathan, proclaiming "Rachel in the Dark Room". Leaving the office, Chloe and Max head for a dip in the Blackwell swimming pool. They talk about their friendship and Rachel Amber, as well as Max's power. The two almost get caught, however, and end up leaving the school in a rush in Chloe's car. They head back to her empty house and stay there for the night. In the morning, Chloe lends Max some of Rachel Amber's old clothes, urging Max to be a rebel. After heading downstairs and helping Joyce with breakfast, Max is given a photo from Chloe's past and explores David's secret files in his garage. Soon after, Max and Chloe are involved in a fight as David comes home in disgust at the paperwork he had to complete due to vandals in the school the night before. The player can either be harsh or forgiving in support of David's behavior towards Kate and his surveillance addiction. The players choice is crucial here, as one angers Chloe, while the other breaks up Joyce and David. On the way back to Blackwell in the car, Chloe blames her misfortune on the death of her real father, William, and becomes angry with Max over leaving her. Max finds herself alone in her room contemplating the past, looking at the old photo of her and Chloe. Much to her surprise, as she focuses on the photo she begins to hear voices from the past, and is transported back in time. In her thirteen year old body, Max is faced with the prospect of saving William and changing the course of Arcadia Bay's history. After hiding his keys to prevent him from picking up Joyce, which would have led him to a fatal car crash, Max succeeds and alters time. The episode ends as Max discovers the wrongs she has caused by keeping William alive. Her own history changes as she is seen to be a rebellious member of the Vortex Club. The biggest shock to her system is Chloe, who is brown-haired, wheelchair bound and heavily reliant on her parents. Episode Four - "Dark Room" The episode begins with Max spending time with Chloe in the alternative timeline. Max discovers that Chloe was in a car accident and also does not have any friendship with Rachel Amber. Due to the fact that Chloe's respiratory system is failing quickly, she requests Max to increase her dose, and despite what choice you make, Chloe dies. Because of this, Max alters the timeline back to the original one. Max somehow found pictures refering to the one who was giving drugs to Kate that was taken by David which he wrote she seems to know something about it. Max can visit Kate if you are able to save her from suicide. You go to Frank's trailer and you might hurt him, kill him, or no one gets hurt for the deal on the code for the account. In the barn, there is a secret basement which the Prescotts have there. There are folders in which Nathan is involved inside it. Max claimed that he's dangerous and has a uncontrollable manner. Rachel was also involved in it and it shows that Rachel was dead on the photo. Chloe could not believe this and expresses that she wants Nathan to pay and obtain revenge for Rachel. They were able to go into the party shows' The End Of The World Party' on October 10, 2013. You can find Victoria inside the curtain if you are able to get on the list. There are chances that she might believe you or not be warned of the situation. In order to make her believe you, you have to say the words that are correct for her to raise the chance of her believing you. The winner of the 'Everyday Heroes' contest was announced to be Victoria Chase. After the announcement, they leave the pool to check the boy's dormitory just when they get a text from Nathan saying that "no one's going to find out" about what happened. In a turn of events, Chloe and Max go to the dumpster and check if Rachel's body is still there. They do find the body, but unfortunately, Max gets pricked in the neck and dosed by Mark Jefferson. She warns Chloe, but she gets shot in the head by Mr. Jefferson. At this point, it is revealed who was drugging the girls. The episode ends with a teaser to the fifth episode showing Mark Jefferson preparing his syringe to drug and take photos of Max. In both timelines, the day and date was on Thursday 10 October 2013. Alternative Timeline Max appears to be a different person in the new timeline after "Chaos Theory". Victoria seems to be friendly and cautious around Max, calling her Maxine and becoming worried when she is corrected with the "Max- Never Maxine" rule. Her clothes are different, and more up-market, and she is seen hanging around with the members of the Vortex Club; people she previously stayed clear of. In this timeline, she seems to be more rebellious than usual, and participates in smoking weed (Victoria offers her the chance for a smoke in the ladies room). It is also revealed that in the alternative timeline, Max kept in touch with Chloe through letters. However, William is surprised to see her when answering the door, implying that she did not, in fact, keep in touch. Chloe also seems happy to see her friend, unlike their first meeting in the original timeline where she is accusatory and apprehensive towards Max. Powers and Abilities '''Rewind: By holding out her hand, Max can reverse time in short lapses, though she is limited in how far back she can go. This ability allows her to "teleport", as she does not return to the same position as she originally was in the time she rewinds to. However, this was shown to take a toll on Max's body in the form of headaches and nosebleeds, which is caused by either overuse or an attempt to rewind too far. Precognition: Max is able to see visions of and experience future events. The first and only vision she has seen was of tornado destroying Arcadia Bay. Stop: Max can freeze time, while also being able to move. Though she cannot move through any living object, such as humans and birds, she can open doors. Max discovered this ability during her attempt to save Kate from committing suicide. Focus: By focusing on a photograph, Max can go back to the time period when the photo was taken in order to change the past. However, she is unable to pass the 'photographic bounds' of the background while the ability is in use. After Max finishes using the ability, she is transported back into the present time while also retaining her memories of the previous timeline. Relationships Friends The degree of advancement in these friendships is up to the player in many instances, and are marked as Determinant. *Chloe Price - (Determinant) Max and Chloe are long-time friends. They lost touch when Max moved to Seattle, but the two are now reunited with Max's return to Arcadia Bay. The two girls care about each other a great deal, and spend most of their time together getting up to mischief and trying to solve the disappearance of Rachel Amber. Chloe will eventually replace the picture of Rachel Amber and Chloe together with the picture of Max on her mobile phone if Max is seen by Chloe to defend her, take her side and to help her with her problems. *Kate Marsh - Max spends time with Kate Marsh, trying to support her throughout her time at Blackwell. As Kate's depression worsens, Max is the only true friend she has to turn to in the school. It is up to Max to save Kate's life in Episode 2. *Warren Graham - Max's friendship with Warren is sometimes strained by the fact that he likes her. While his advances are generally spurned by Max, the two remain firm friends. *Joyce Madsen - Max seems to get on very well with Chloe's mother. The two joke about old times and Joyce seems glad that Max is around to remain a good influence on her daughter. *Dana Ward - Max talks often with Dana and seems to be good friends with her despite Dana's popularity. Dana is more receptive to the friendship if the player chooses to rewind after discovering the pregnancy test, and comforts her about the rumours spreading around the school about her pregnancy. *Alyssa Anderson - (Determinant) Max seems to have a growing friendship with Alyssa, especially if Max decides to save her from the ills that befall her each in each episode. Ultimately, Max feels like they should become better friends due to their common interests of photography and keeping to themselves. *Taylor Christensen - (Determinant) If Max chooses to speak to Taylor about her mother's illness, and comfort her, Taylor becomes more friendly towards her, despite being friends with Victoria. *Brooke Scott - (Determinant) Brooke is generally friendly towards Max if you take interest in her drone, but can come across as rude, especially if Max accepts Warren's invite to the movie drive-in. *Samuel - (Determinant) Max seems to have a friendship with Samuel, the groundskeeper of Blackwell. He is made fun of by many of the students, but Max takes a kind approach when talking with him and seems to respect him as a person. The two talk fondly of spirit animals. Family * Max's Dad - Max has a close relationship with her dad, going with him to sports games in Seattle. He sends her a thoughtful text message for her birthday and is clearly very caring towards his daughter. Her father also keeps in close contact with Max regarding Max's attempt to save Kate and the threatening messages by the Prescott family. * Max's Mom - Max is also close with her mother, appreciating the cookies and text messages that her mother sends her. Her mother also keeps in close contact with Max regarding Principal Well's report about Max, with Lisa and with Max's attempt to save Kate. In the alternative timeline, Max's mother expresses concern with Max spending through her scholarship fund too quickly and sent Max a reminder not to be too much of a spendthrift. Enemies * Nathan Prescott - After seeing Nathan shoot Chloe in the girls' bathroom, and learning of his drugging of both Kate and Chloe, Max is firm enemies with Nathan, particularly if the player reported him for any of his misdeeds. * Victoria Chase - Victoria is one of Max's adversaries, as she constantly belittles and makes fun of Max. The distrust between them grows if the player messes up Victoria's photos, or decides to take the photo of her covered in paint instead of comforting her. * Principal Wells - Max is often dismissed by Wells in favour of the Prescott family; Wells is often nice to other students, causing Max to feel like he dislikes her. He also considers her as nosey, as stated in her Blackwell record. * Frank Bowers - After the incident in the junk yard in Episode 2, Max and Frank become enemies as he threatens Chloe. This situation is made worse if Max attempts to shoot Frank, or kills Frank's dog. Romantic * Warren Graham - Although Max generally spurns his affection, it is clear that he has a crush on her. Warren asks Max to go to a see a movie with him, and the player is given the choice of accepting or rejecting this offer. After these conversations, Max notes that she doesn't want to lead Warren on with the wrong idea about their relationship. She also comments that he and Brooke would be perfect for each other. Spirit Animal and Symbolism Max is heavily associated with the Doe. This is symbolic of kindness and compassion, as well as being intuitive, quick-thinking and resourceful; all aspects of Max's personality.Check out this article for more information: http://www.spiritanimal.info/deer-spirit-animal/ Max wears her Jane-Doe shirt in "Chrysalis", and another shirt with a Doe design in "Out of Time". The Doe spirit animal image follows and guides her to the lighthouse and is prominent in her visions, as well as appearing to her in American Rust with Chloe. The Doe can also be spotted as an image in the bathroom of the Two Whales Diner. Max has a conversation with Samuel about spirit animals, in which he confirms that she's right about the Doe being her spiritual guide. Colour symbolism is also prominent in this game, linking characters together. Max wears the same colour wristband as Chloe's hair and nailpolish, the blue butterfly, the blue-jay, Kate's marker, Alyssa's nailpolish and Joyce's hair clip. Max's 13-year-old self also wears a shirt of a similar blue shade. There is much debate among fans about the meaning of the colour symbolism. Artistic and Cultural References Max admires many artists and photographers. A list can be seen here of all those mentioned. Trivia *Her room in the girls' dormitory is room 219. *It is implied Max is of Irish descent; hence her last name is of Irish origin. Chloe also mentions her "Irish luck" in "Out of Time". *October is Max's favourite month, mostly due to her love of Halloween. *According to her school file, Max has a 2.8 GPA. *There is a possible reference to the 'pokerface' meme on Max's dorm drawing board. *The name Mad Max is a reference of movies of the same name References Category:Characters Category:Female Characters Category:Episode One: Chrysalis Characters Category:Episode Two: Out of Time Characters Category:Episode Three: Chaos Theory Characters Category:Alive Category:Blackwell Academy Students Category:Blackwell Academy Category:Caulfield Family Category:Episode One: Chrysalis Gallery Category:Episode Three: Chaos Theory Gallery Category:Episode Two: Out of Time Gallery Category:Episode Four: Dark Room Characters